Dundalk manager Filippo Giovagnoli said that he has a good working relationship with the club's new sporting director Jim Magilton and expects his side to be competing for the league title in 2021.
The Lilywhites had to settle for a third-place finish in the 2020 SSE Airtricity League season following a mixed campagin, which saw them change managers with Giovagnoli replacing Vinny Perth midway through.
As things transpired, it was still a very successful season for the Oriel Park side who secured qualification for the lucrative Europa League group stages for the second time in four years, while they also gained revenge of sorts over league champions Shamrock Rovers by defeating the Hoops in the FAI Cup final.
Now looking ahead to his first full campaign in charge, the Italian manager said that his side are still short two or three players ahead of the new season, while he is also working with the club who are going through a transitional stage.
"We have to [challenge Rovers for the title]," said Giovagnoli. "It's what we need to do, we want to battle to win the league, for sure.
"We are working to complete the squad. We have two or three players still to sign but we are working to do it and we should have some news soon," added the manager, who gave some insight in the process of procuring players under the club's new international approach.
"The club is restructuring and has a vision to become more of an international club, and we are looking at our recruiting outside of Ireland.
"[The owners] have a vision to open the League of Ireland to a more open idea of football, and we are trying to respect the vision of the owners.
"We are working together. Jim is the sporting director and we are working together on recruiting players. I do a lot of scouting and then we present the players to the sporting director and then he presents it to the board."
Giovagnoli believes that he is coping with the loss of some key players since the end of last season, such as Sean Gannon, Dane Massey, John Mountney, Jordan Flores and Stefan Colovic, while veteran goalkeeper Gary Rogers has retired.
The Lilywhites boss believes that the club has replaced like for like having signed midfielder Sam Stanton, defender Sonni Ragnar Nattestad and goalkeeper Alessio Abibi.
"The majority who left, it was their decision," said Giovagnoli. "So there was nothing that we could do, but we are replacing quality with quality, players with international experience. I call them mature young players."
Dundalk kick-off their season with a President's Cup clash with Shamrock Rovers on 12 March, with the League of Ireland campaign beginning the following weekend.
